The One's Episode 2-Practice
by Aakino
Summary: Neo is hit with a blast from the past as he tries out a new machine that simulates The Matrix
1. The One's Episode 1

"The One's before me?" Neo thought to himself. He could not believe what he was hearing. Honestly, he couldn't believe what he was seeing either. He never thought this would end up happening, and this is coming from a man who had a very strong mind.

Saint began to help Neo out of the bed. He wrapped his arm around Neo's torso and helped him to his feet. Neo was wearing some light clothing underneath, white pajamas. Gaia went to the closet and grabbed some folded clothes. She brought it to Saint, and presented it to him. With their help, Neo changed his clothing to something more appropriate for his personality.

Neo hobbled along the hallway leading to the staircase using Saint as his crutch. The larger man walked slowly, giving his new guest a chance to learn how to walk again. Neo was still sore, but not like he was when he woke up. Neo looked at the house they were in. Though he could see where the house itself stood, the main room was several floors underground. Even the area near the front door ended in a long staircase downwards. All around, ornate shelves held a vast library of books wall to wall. The interior of the room looked like nothing less than something the Merovingian himself would own. Saint held Neo as he tried to hobble down the spiraling stairs going into the living room.

"Neo, I know it's been a while, but will yourself to use your legs. They're not broken." requested Saint.

Neo looked at his new friend for a second, and then he closed his eyes and concentrated his willpower in order to help him walk. Though he still needed Saint's support, he was faring much better than before. When they got down to the bottom of the stairs, Saint helped Neo to a nearby chair. Aged leather, but quite comfy, Neo sat down and relaxed. Saint and Gaia sat on a nearby couch. Neo looked around at his neat new surroundings. On the Western Wall, a large angel was integrated into the shelving that housed all the books in the room. Antique lamps gave a nice ambiance to the room, as did a large television with some video games and movies.

"What is this place?" asked Neo.

"Our home." answered Gaia. "Think of it as a subfile."

"Subfile?"

"Yes. Saint and Hax used the train station to create a new little place. We're in the space between the real world and the Matrix. It's a small area, and has everything we need for now. Quite intricate, really." she explained.

"Hax? Is he another one of...us?" Neo inquired.

"Yes. He came here, after I did. I was able to create the subfile, but with him, I was able to make it into something livable, instead of floating around here as random code." answered Saint.

"So, we don't have bodies here...I figured as much."

"I know. Sorry, bro!" said Saint. "By the way, what is Hax up to anyway?"

"He's working on the Deuces Ex with Dreja and Cache." answered Gaia.

"Oh lord...not those two! We all know how he is with the ladies, but she ain't havin' it!" chuckled Saint.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. Everyone turned to see as 3 thuds came from it. Then, through an opening, a package dropped through. Gaia was the first to run up the stairs to retrieve it! She looked at the package a few times, and then a great big smile beamed on her face.

"Got it!" she mused.

Saint turned towards Neo. "Would you like to meet the others?" he asked with a smile.

The three walked into a large computer room, the area that housed the Deuces Ex. There was a large room in an area covered in glass and metal. It almost looked like some kind of holding cell from the outside. Neo watched as slowly walked past. He no longer needed Saint's support, but Saint stayed nearby just in case. Gaia walked the fastest of the three.

"Hey guys! Got it!" she said, waving the package above her head.

A medium-framed Asian man wearing black slacks, a black vest, and a blue plaid shirt turned towards them from the control console. He kept his hair spiky and short. Thin glasses framed his face, and Neo could tell he was a man who meant business. Kind of reminded him of Ghost slightly from when he was in Zion. Hax stood up and grabbed the package, then sat back down. Neo took his gesture as slightly rude, but he made sure not to make an issue out of it. A smaller man clad in black leather came up to Neo.

"Welcome, fella! My name is Cache!" he said in a thick British accent as he extended his hand towards Neo.

Neo took his hand and gripped it firmly, and Cache gave him a single shake before he let go of Neo's hand.

"And that lovely goddess is Dreja!" he introduced as he pointed his hand towards a curvy figure in the ceiling. She wore shiny black latex pants, and a thin black wife-beater shirt. She climbed down the ladder she was on and came to the floor. She was slightly covered in grease, and wiped her hands off in a napkin.

"Comadreja. Nice to meet you at long last!" she said in her Spanish accent.

Neo looked her up and down. She had a beautiful figure. Tanned skin, sexy accent, and she obviously knew how to handle herself well. She delicately took his hand and shook it.

"I may live with a rabble of rebels, but I'm still a lady!" she said with a smirk. Neo, slightly nervous, turned and faced the room next to them.

"What is this?" he asked.

"That's the Deuces Ex." answered Hax.

"What does it do exactly?" he asked. Comadreja stepped forward.

"It's a training device. Kind of like the training programs used to prepare people for the Matrix. However, it's slightly different. It's designed to allow us to use our abilities or to remind us how to fight without them." answered Dreja.

"When I first arrived, Saint and I had no way to practice our skills except with one another. However, he had struck up a deal with certain...programs, and we get regular supplies coming in here day after day. Using what we were able to get, we designed the Deuces Ex so that we could keep up with how the machines are functioning within the Matrix. In simple words, we use archival footage to study our enemies, and simulate them here in this machine. That's what this is for!" explained Hax, holding up a strange-looking mechanical device.

"With our resources out there, we've been keeping an eye on your progress, Neo. And with this, we'll be able to see how our enemies have progressed since we've been gone." said Dreja.

"Resources?" asked Neo.

"The Merovingian. That's part of the reason the Train Man built his station here." answered Gaia. Neo turned towards Saint, a shocked expression on his face.

"You guys work for the Merovingian?"

"How do you think he got his massive wealth?" answered Saint. "I had to put in some work for him back in the day. I needed his ability to gather information. Still do. I wouldn't say I work for him, let's just say that he's upholding his end of the bargain. But don't worry, you'll see the importance of what I did soon enough." explained Saint.

Hax placed the device in a slot on the machine, and began typing away. Gaia went to stand next to him, as she was still learning how to run it herself. Dreja worked on the wirework to make sure it was all in place while Cache handed her any tools she needed. Saint stood next to Neo and gave him a pep-talk.

"They'll be done soon; we use this thing every day. Now, do you think you can still fight like you did before?" asked Saint, placing his hands on Neo's shoulders.

"Yeah, I think so." he said, sounding almost unsure.

"I'll have them take it easy on you, at least until you're back tip top! It'll be alright. I'll have Hax start you out on a lower setting. Just think of it as a giant interactive video game!" he chuckled.

"Oh, personal question...what does "comadreja" mean?" Neo whispered.

"It's a Weasel, Cabrón!" answered Dreja from underneath the main console.

"Nothing gets past her!" said Saint, smiling. Hax was watching some of the downloaded footage of Neo's previous battles while he was the One in the Matrix. He was certainly impressed by some of what he saw.

"Holy shit! Those 2 agents ran away! Not bad for your first day!" he mused. Even Gaia chuckled at the sight. "I think we'll start you out in the Subway, though. We got the most info from that."

"Neo...are you ready?" asked Saint.

Neo nodded his head yes, and then Saint opened the door to the large room connected to the computer. He stood there in the seemingly empty room briefly, before looking back out towards the others. Through the glass, he saw Gaia fumbling with the sound equipment. He could hear that a speaker was trying to work inside the room he was in.

"Ok, Neo! We got everything working right." said Hax.

"So...what do I do?" asked Neo.

"Just a second, it'll start in a moment." answered Hax.

At the console, Hax was showing Gaia the final steps of the process. She watched the screen intently as Hax allowed his fingers to punch in key after key, flowing with his hands without having to look at the keyboard. The Deuces Ex was scanning Smith's fighting maneuvers as he fought Neo in the subway so many years ago, scanning every punch, every kick, and reading the strength used to nearly pummel their new friend. When the computer finished, he showed her how to input the final commands.

"We're gonna be scanning some of the other fights while he's in there, but for now, all you need to know are these 3 main commands. Scan, copy, and...download!" he said as he pressed the final button.

"Scan, copy, and download! Affirmative!" said Gaia excitedly.

Inside the Deuces Ex, a green grid-like pattern began to display itself inside of the room where Neo was. Suddenly, as if it formed a wall above him, the grid came down and covered over him, the grid changing into designs and features that he recognized...kind of like matrix code. He saw walls forming, the track, the support beams, the newspaper kiosk, and even the telephone booth with the busted phone in it like it had been shot. Neo looked at the ground, and color began to pour into the dirty floors, running in every direction and making it look just like how he remembered it. Neo was even wearing the same clothes he had on that day, complete with his boots, all the buckles that housed the guns he had at the time, and the skin-tight black shirt he wore. He looked all around. He knew one piece of the scenery was missing...but would soon show.

"Should we give him a weapon?" asked Gaia as the download process was completing itself. She looked at Neo through the glass windows on the room, everything inside was now digital information, including Neo. They could see him, but he could not see or hear them.

"Give him whatever he had that day." suggested Saint. Hax pressed a series of buttons, and uploaded the sidearm piece Neo had to be active. "Shift, press enter, activate...then download. And that is how you put guns into the system!" said Hax, smiling at Gaia.

Neo pulled out the now-downloaded gun from where it was tucked away on his harness, and he looks at it with a surprised expression on his face. It's a Beretta 92FS...the exact same gun he had that day in the subway. He remembered how he emptied the clip and had it aimed at Smith's head, and how Smith had in turn emptied his Desert Eagle and had it to his own head. Suddenly, Neo heard footsteps coming from the stairs going into the Subway. A well-dressed white man in his 40's strolled downwards, wearing a brown 2-piece suit, dark shades, and a hearing device. His hair was slicked back, and his thin frame hid a strength that Neo was all too familiar with. He could never forget this man.

"Smith." he said coldly.

"Mr. Anderson." said Smith as he got to the bottom of the stairs.

The two old enemies walked in a circle around one another, facing each other down. Neo had all the same feelings he had back when he first fought this battle. He was nervous...it had been a while since he had fought anyone. On top of that, he had been in a coma for years, and wasn't quite to his old self yet. However, deep down, he still had the calmness of a tiger on the hunt. Even if he wasn't 100%, he had more than enough "muscle" memory to stay alive. He knew that much about himself. Neo clenched his fists as Smith came closer to him.

"You've been more trouble than you're worth, Mr. Anderson. You've destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of property, and you've been a personal annoyance to me and my associates. I've come here personally to make sure you never see the light of day again!"

With that, Smith lunged at Neo. Neo returned the gesture, jumping off the support beam with his pistol drawn. As they both hit the air, they grabbed one another and spun as Smith fired off a few bullets from his gun. They all missed Neo, and they both landed on the ground. Neo, having learned from past history, didn't fire one shot.

"You're empty." Neo said, swiftly pulling the trigger. Smith was too close to dodge the bullet. A single bullet left from Neo's berretta and lodged itself in Smith's temple. He fell dead, and then the body converted itself into a random stranger, a modestly dressed woman who, moments ago, was living a normal life in the city.

Back at the main console controlling the Deuces Ex, Gaia let out a whoop as Neo won the fight. Dreja clapped her hands, and Saint had a smile going from ear to ear.

"Fast learner, huh?" asked Cache, slapping Saint on the shoulder.

"Hax, upload another Smith program. We actually want him to get some exercise." With a smile, Hax began clacking at the keyboard once again. Inside the Deuces Ex, an old drunk appeared on a couch in the far corner of the Subway, clutching a bottle and green code streaming down his face. Suddenly, another Smith appeared. Neo stood up, ready to face the newer threat. He drew his gun and began to fire. Smith, using his Agent programming, dodged every one of them effortlessly. Neo ran towards Smith as he continued firing, then threw his gun at his adversary. Smith caught the gun, and in a swift fluid motion, threw it to the ground as he proceeded to block the incoming flurry of punches and kicks coming his way. Neo's skills were impressive for someone who hasn't used his body for a long time. He could feel all those years of experience pouring back into him, letting his mind focus on the task at hand rather than the shape he was in. He punched Smith in the chest, followed by a kick to his midsection. Smith stood his ground and took the blows, gritting his teeth and showing off his superior strength. Neo followed up with a side kick, taking two steps and then throwing the kick right into Smith's belly. Smith flew into the nearby concrete wall, and cracked it from the force of the blow.

Neo felt a small bit of victory, but he knew this fight was far from over. Smith never stayed down from such hits. He knew that he was going to have to up his game to emerge victorious from this. Smith calmly stood up and took off his now broken sunglasses, standard issue for all agents. Annoyed, he threw them to the ground and slowly walked towards Neo. Using a flurry of combos of his own, Smith returned his attack, moving faster than Neo remembered. Before Neo had a chance to block, Smith smashed Neo in the face with a quick right to the left side of his cheek. Then, using a feinted jab, socked Neo once again with the same punch. Neo stumbled a bit, not quite used to the sensation of pain anymore. Smith grabbed the fighter and pushed him up against a concrete beam, hitting Neo with a swarm of punches and kicks. Each blow pushed Neo further into the concrete, and came at such a speed that he was unable to evade.

The others watched the console as Neo took a beating, hoping that he'd find a way to escape. "Come on, Neo!" secretly whispered Saint, one arm resting on his midsection and the other raised near his mouth. He stroked his chin, hoping that even the weakened program wouldn't spell Neo's demise.

"Hax, talk to me." He commanded, starting to pace as he listened to his expert.

"Form-wise, Neo's doing fine. However, he's pushing himself much further than he should be at this point. Basically, his body's doing fine, but he's not at the point where he realizes his body doesn't exist anymore. He's causing himself more strain, because he still feels he has a body outside of here." answered Hax.

"He's gonna be ok, right?" asked Gaia.

"Once he gets used to his new circumstances, he should be fine. We probably shouldn't have started him out with an agent, though. At least, not this particular one. He's burning himself out, partially, because of the history he has with this thing. He's giving it his all when he should just be getting used to the fundamentals again, and getting used to the fact that he doesn't have a body outside of this machine to allow him to feel fatigued so quickly." explained Hax.

"I say give him more time." said Cache.

"For once, we agree." said Hax.

"Alright, I'll allow it. Come on, Neo." said Saint.

Neo eventually dodged from out of Smith's onslaught of blows, and then countered with a left hook to Smith's ribs. The agent was stunned by the blow, enough to give Neo the necessary time to retort with an onslaught of his own. Smith was able to dodge many of the blows, but missed when Neo threw a knifehand strike to his throat. Gagging, Neo used this time to grab the lapels of his jacket and judo throw the agent to the floor. As Smith tried to get up, Neo used another throw to slam Smith into the concrete floor. As Smith reeled from the pain, Neo kicked him, Smith sliding against the hard floor from the blow. Gritting his teeth, Smith got up and grabbed his standard issue Desert Eagle from his jacket. He fired three shots at Neo. Running purely on adrenaline, Neo managed to dodge the first two shots, using his focus to move away from the bullets as if they were fish in the sea. The third bullet, however, hit him right in the shoulder. Neo fell to the ground, in pain with his shoulder bleeding.

At the console, Saint began to look worried. "Hax, send me into the Deuces Ex. I'm going to help him." Saint opened the door to the digital room just as Hax spun in his chair to face him.

"Do you want your special programming?" asked Hax.

"Yes, and hurry!" replied Saint, smiling as he closed the door. He could see the digital projection of Neo on the ground in green code. His body, however, hadn't been integrated into the program yet. He was just in a large box filled with code. Quickly and effortlessly, Hax slid a jump drive into the console and begin to furiously chip at the keyboard with precise commands.

"Sorry, Gaia, I'll show you how to do this later." he promised.

Inside the Deuces Ex, Smith began to walk towards Neo with his gun poised and aimed straight for Neo's head. Neo felt fear, seeing his life flash before his eyes. This should've been an easy fight, he thought. He was the One! Neo closed his eyes as Smith gave him a final taunt.

"Goodbye, Mr. Anderson." said Smith just as he began to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, code came into the Subway. Saint, with perfect form, formed from the code with his silver and black Springfield XD pistol drawn. It held an impressive 16-round clip and he had a wooden dowel rod, bound in grip tape, in the back of him attached to his belt. As he fired each round, Smith dodged each shot.

"Gotcha!" yelled Saint as he quickly glided to the still-dodging Smith.

As Smith dodged one of the bullets by curving to the left, Saint met him with a hard right cross, knocking the Agent through a poster hanging on the wall. As Smith got up in order to respond to this new threat, Saint as already there beginning to pummel the agent. Saint started by showing off his Boxing punches, forcing the agent to block each blow as quickly as he could. Then, Saint closed the gap and grabbed Smith by the shirt, using his elbows and knees to beat the agent into submission. Then, in as dirty a fight as Smith wish he had the programming for, Saint followed up his strikes by pulling Smith towards him as he kneed him in the crotch. Smith fell to his knees, holding himself with gritted teeth. In quick motion, Saint grabbed his wooden stick from behind him, whipped it around behind Smith's neck, then pulled the bar in as he unleashed a particularly deadly knee to Smith's face. Between the blow of the knee and the placement of the stick behind him, Smith's neck was broken. Fight was over just like that. Smith's limp body fell to the ground, and turned back into the old man whose body he had hijacked. In a humbling gesture, Saint grabbed his fist and bowed to the old man before turning to go help Neo.

"Neo, breathe. Concentrate." he said, holding the hero's body in his arms. Neo was breathing hard, as if he were dying. "Neo, look at me." he commanded. Neo did as he asked.

"This pain is all in your head. Let it go." he said.

Neo realized the power of his words, and focused on them. Pretty soon, his pain began to lessen. Saint was right; it was all in his head.

"I'm sorry." said Neo as he let go of the bleeding hole in his arm.

"Nothing to apologize for." said Saint, smiling. "I'm the one who should apologize. We should've started you out on something a little easier. Something a little more fun." he said.

A rush of loud footsteps came from the entrance of the Subway as many S.W.A.T. members ran down the stairs, a group of around 30 men. Saint and Neo both turned to see as the men came to the ground floor, got in formation, and aimed their submachine guns, assault rifles, and high-powered shotguns at the duo. Saint slowly stood up as Neo looked on.

"You two, drop to your knees, hands on the back of your heads NOW!" screamed the commanding officer. Neo was startled as a hand came out in front of his face.

"C'mon, Neo! We can do this...together!" said Saint, smiling. Neo grabbed his forearm and pulled himself up with Saint's assistance. He rotated his arm a bit, getting rid of the leftover pain that had left his body. Taking a deep breath, Neo did a beautiful flourish of martial arts movements, ending in a stance facing the officers.

"Now we're talkin'!" replied Saint as he hopped on one leg and then the other, throwing a flurry of punches into the air before assuming his stance. "You ready, partner?" asked Saint.

"Ready." said Neo coolly.


	2. Chapter 2

"The One's before me?" Neo thought to himself. He could not believe what he was hearing. Honestly, he couldn't believe what he was seeing either. He never thought this would end up happening, and this is coming from a man who had a very strong mind.

Saint began to help Neo out of the bed. He wrapped his arm around Neo's torso and helped him to his feet. Neo was wearing some light clothing underneath, white pajamas. Gaia went to the closet and grabbed some folded clothes. She brought it to Saint, and presented it to him. With their help, Neo changed his clothing to something more appropriate for his personality.

Neo hobbled along the hallway leading to the staircase using Saint as his crutch. The larger man walked slowly, giving his new guest a chance to learn how to walk again. Neo was still sore, but not like he was when he woke up. Neo looked at the house they were in. Though he could see where the house itself stood, the main room was several floors underground. Even the area near the front door ended in a long staircase downwards. All around, ornate shelves held a vast library of books wall to wall. The interior of the room looked like nothing less than something the Merovingian himself would own. Saint held Neo as he tried to hobble down the spiraling stairs going into the living room.

"Neo, I know it's been a while, but will yourself to use your legs. They're not broken." requested Saint.

Neo looked at his new friend for a second, and then he closed his eyes and concentrated his willpower in order to help him walk. Though he still needed Saint's support, he was faring much better than before. When they got down to the bottom of the stairs, Saint helped Neo to a nearby chair. Aged leather, but quite comfy, Neo sat down and relaxed. Saint and Gaia sat on a nearby couch. Neo looked around at his neat new surroundings. On the Western Wall, a large angel was integrated into the shelving that housed all the books in the room. Antique lamps gave a nice ambiance to the room, as did a large television with some video games and movies.

"What is this place?" asked Neo.

"Our home." answered Gaia. "Think of it as a subfile."

"Subfile?"

"Yes. Saint and Hax used the train station to create a new little place. We're in the space between the real world and the Matrix. It's a small area, and has everything we need for now. Quite intricate, really." she explained.

"Hax? Is he another one of...us?" Neo inquired.

"Yes. He came here, after I did. I was able to create the subfile, but with him, I was able to make it into something livable, instead of floating around here as random code." answered Saint.

"So, we don't have bodies here...I figured as much."

"I know. Sorry, bro!" said Saint. "By the way, what is Hax up to anyway?"

"He's working on the Deuces Ex with Dreja and Cache." answered Gaia.

"Oh lord...not those two! We all know how he is with the ladies, but she ain't havin' it!" chuckled Saint.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. Everyone turned to see as 3 thuds came from it. Then, through an opening, a package dropped through. Gaia was the first to run up the stairs to retrieve it! She looked at the package a few times, and then a great big smile beamed on her face.

"Got it!" she mused.

Saint turned towards Neo. "Would you like to meet the others?" he asked with a smile.

The three walked into a large computer room, the area that housed the Deuces Ex. There was a large room in an area covered in glass and metal. It almost looked like some kind of holding cell from the outside. Neo watched as slowly walked past. He no longer needed Saint's support, but Saint stayed nearby just in case. Gaia walked the fastest of the three.

"Hey guys! Got it!" she said, waving the package above her head.

A medium-framed Asian man wearing black slacks, a black vest, and a blue plaid shirt turned towards them from the control console. He kept his hair spiky and short. Thin glasses framed his face, and Neo could tell he was a man who meant business. Kind of reminded him of Ghost slightly from when he was in Zion. Hax stood up and grabbed the package, then sat back down. Neo took his gesture as slightly rude, but he made sure not to make an issue out of it. A smaller man clad in black leather came up to Neo.

"Welcome, fella! My name is Cache!" he said in a thick British accent as he extended his hand towards Neo.

Neo took his hand and gripped it firmly, and Cache gave him a single shake before he let go of Neo's hand.

"And that lovely goddess is Dreja!" he introduced as he pointed his hand towards a curvy figure in the ceiling. She wore shiny black latex pants, and a thin black wife-beater shirt. She climbed down the ladder she was on and came to the floor. She was slightly covered in grease, and wiped her hands off in a napkin.

"Comadreja. Nice to meet you at long last!" she said in her Spanish accent.

Neo looked her up and down. She had a beautiful figure. Tanned skin, sexy accent, and she obviously knew how to handle herself well. She delicately took his hand and shook it.

"I may live with a rabble of rebels, but I'm still a lady!" she said with a smirk. Neo, slightly nervous, turned and faced the room next to them.

"What is this?" he asked.

"That's the Deuces Ex." answered Hax.

"What does it do exactly?" he asked. Comadreja stepped forward.

"It's a training device. Kind of like the training programs used to prepare people for the Matrix. However, it's slightly different. It's designed to allow us to use our abilities or to remind us how to fight without them." answered Dreja.

"When I first arrived, Saint and I had no way to practice our skills except with one another. However, he had struck up a deal with certain...programs, and we get regular supplies coming in here day after day. Using what we were able to get, we designed the Deuces Ex so that we could keep up with how the machines are functioning within the Matrix. In simple words, we use archival footage to study our enemies, and simulate them here in this machine. That's what this is for!" explained Hax, holding up a strange-looking mechanical device.

"With our resources out there, we've been keeping an eye on your progress, Neo. And with this, we'll be able to see how our enemies have progressed since we've been gone." said Dreja.

"Resources?" asked Neo.

"The Merovingian. That's part of the reason the Train Man built his station here." answered Gaia. Neo turned towards Saint, a shocked expression on his face.

"You guys work for the Merovingian?"

"How do you think he got his massive wealth?" answered Saint. "I had to put in some work for him back in the day. I needed his ability to gather information. Still do. I wouldn't say I work for him, let's just say that he's upholding his end of the bargain. But don't worry, you'll see the importance of what I did soon enough." explained Saint.

Hax placed the device in a slot on the machine, and began typing away. Gaia went to stand next to him, as she was still learning how to run it herself. Dreja worked on the wirework to make sure it was all in place while Cache handed her any tools she needed. Saint stood next to Neo and gave him a pep-talk.

"They'll be done soon; we use this thing every day. Now, do you think you can still fight like you did before?" asked Saint, placing his hands on Neo's shoulders.

"Yeah, I think so." he said, sounding almost unsure.

"I'll have them take it easy on you, at least until you're back tip top! It'll be alright. I'll have Hax start you out on a lower setting. Just think of it as a giant interactive video game!" he chuckled.

"Oh, personal question...what does "comadreja" mean?" Neo whispered.

"It's a Weasel, Cabrón!" answered Dreja from underneath the main console.

"Nothing gets past her!" said Saint, smiling. Hax was watching some of the downloaded footage of Neo's previous battles while he was the One in the Matrix. He was certainly impressed by some of what he saw.

"Holy shit! Those 2 agents ran away! Not bad for your first day!" he mused. Even Gaia chuckled at the sight. "I think we'll start you out in the Subway, though. We got the most info from that."

"Neo...are you ready?" asked Saint.

Neo nodded his head yes, and then Saint opened the door to the large room connected to the computer. He stood there in the seemingly empty room briefly, before looking back out towards the others. Through the glass, he saw Gaia fumbling with the sound equipment. He could hear that a speaker was trying to work inside the room he was in.

"Ok, Neo! We got everything working right." said Hax.

"So...what do I do?" asked Neo.

"Just a second, it'll start in a moment." answered Hax.

At the console, Hax was showing Gaia the final steps of the process. She watched the screen intently as Hax allowed his fingers to punch in key after key, flowing with his hands without having to look at the keyboard. The Deuces Ex was scanning Smith's fighting maneuvers as he fought Neo in the subway so many years ago, scanning every punch, every kick, and reading the strength used to nearly pummel their new friend. When the computer finished, he showed her how to input the final commands.

"We're gonna be scanning some of the other fights while he's in there, but for now, all you need to know are these 3 main commands. Scan, copy, and...download!" he said as he pressed the final button.

"Scan, copy, and download! Affirmative!" said Gaia excitedly.

Inside the Deuces Ex, a green grid-like pattern began to display itself inside of the room where Neo was. Suddenly, as if it formed a wall above him, the grid came down and covered over him, the grid changing into designs and features that he recognized...kind of like matrix code. He saw walls forming, the track, the support beams, the newspaper kiosk, and even the telephone booth with the busted phone in it like it had been shot. Neo looked at the ground, and color began to pour into the dirty floors, running in every direction and making it look just like how he remembered it. Neo was even wearing the same clothes he had on that day, complete with his boots, all the buckles that housed the guns he had at the time, and the skin-tight black shirt he wore. He looked all around. He knew one piece of the scenery was missing...but would soon show.

"Should we give him a weapon?" asked Gaia as the download process was completing itself. She looked at Neo through the glass windows on the room, everything inside was now digital information, including Neo. They could see him, but he could not see or hear them.

"Give him whatever he had that day." suggested Saint. Hax pressed a series of buttons, and uploaded the sidearm piece Neo had to be active. "Shift, press enter, activate...then download. And that is how you put guns into the system!" said Hax, smiling at Gaia.

Neo pulled out the now-downloaded gun from where it was tucked away on his harness, and he looks at it with a surprised expression on his face. It's a Beretta 92FS...the exact same gun he had that day in the subway. He remembered how he emptied the clip and had it aimed at Smith's head, and how Smith had in turn emptied his Desert Eagle and had it to his own head. Suddenly, Neo heard footsteps coming from the stairs going into the Subway. A well-dressed white man in his 40's strolled downwards, wearing a brown 2-piece suit, dark shades, and a hearing device. His hair was slicked back, and his thin frame hid a strength that Neo was all too familiar with. He could never forget this man.

"Smith." he said coldly.

"Mr. Anderson." said Smith as he got to the bottom of the stairs.

The two old enemies walked in a circle around one another, facing each other down. Neo had all the same feelings he had back when he first fought this battle. He was nervous...it had been a while since he had fought anyone. On top of that, he had been in a coma for years, and wasn't quite to his old self yet. However, deep down, he still had the calmness of a tiger on the hunt. Even if he wasn't 100%, he had more than enough "muscle" memory to stay alive. He knew that much about himself. Neo clenched his fists as Smith came closer to him.

"You've been more trouble than you're worth, Mr. Anderson. You've destroyed thousands of dollars' worth of property, and you've been a personal annoyance to me and my associates. I've come here personally to make sure you never see the light of day again!"

With that, Smith lunged at Neo. Neo returned the gesture, jumping off the support beam with his pistol drawn. As they both hit the air, they grabbed one another and spun as Smith fired off a few bullets from his gun. They all missed Neo, and they both landed on the ground. Neo, having learned from past history, didn't fire one shot.

"You're empty." Neo said, swiftly pulling the trigger. Smith was too close to dodge the bullet. A single bullet left from Neo's berretta and lodged itself in Smith's temple. He fell dead, and then the body converted itself into a random stranger, a modestly dressed woman who, moments ago, was living a normal life in the city.

Back at the main console controlling the Deuces Ex, Gaia let out a whoop as Neo won the fight. Dreja clapped her hands, and Saint had a smile going from ear to ear.

"Fast learner, huh?" asked Cache, slapping Saint on the shoulder.

"Hax, upload another Smith program. We actually want him to get some exercise." With a smile, Hax began clacking at the keyboard once again. Inside the Deuces Ex, an old drunk appeared on a couch in the far corner of the Subway, clutching a bottle and green code streaming down his face. Suddenly, another Smith appeared. Neo stood up, ready to face the newer threat. He drew his gun and began to fire. Smith, using his Agent programming, dodged every one of them effortlessly. Neo ran towards Smith as he continued firing, then threw his gun at his adversary. Smith caught the gun, and in a swift fluid motion, threw it to the ground as he proceeded to block the incoming flurry of punches and kicks coming his way. Neo's skills were impressive for someone who hasn't used his body for a long time. He could feel all those years of experience pouring back into him, letting his mind focus on the task at hand rather than the shape he was in. He punched Smith in the chest, followed by a kick to his midsection. Smith stood his ground and took the blows, gritting his teeth and showing off his superior strength. Neo followed up with a side kick, taking two steps and then throwing the kick right into Smith's belly. Smith flew into the nearby concrete wall, and cracked it from the force of the blow.

Neo felt a small bit of victory, but he knew this fight was far from over. Smith never stayed down from such hits. He knew that he was going to have to up his game to emerge victorious from this. Smith calmly stood up and took off his now broken sunglasses, standard issue for all agents. Annoyed, he threw them to the ground and slowly walked towards Neo. Using a flurry of combos of his own, Smith returned his attack, moving faster than Neo remembered. Before Neo had a chance to block, Smith smashed Neo in the face with a quick right to the left side of his cheek. Then, using a feinted jab, socked Neo once again with the same punch. Neo stumbled a bit, not quite used to the sensation of pain anymore. Smith grabbed the fighter and pushed him up against a concrete beam, hitting Neo with a swarm of punches and kicks. Each blow pushed Neo further into the concrete, and came at such a speed that he was unable to evade.

The others watched the console as Neo took a beating, hoping that he'd find a way to escape. "Come on, Neo!" secretly whispered Saint, one arm resting on his midsection and the other raised near his mouth. He stroked his chin, hoping that even the weakened program wouldn't spell Neo's demise.

"Hax, talk to me." He commanded, starting to pace as he listened to his expert.

"Form-wise, Neo's doing fine. However, he's pushing himself much further than he should be at this point. Basically, his body's doing fine, but he's not at the point where he realizes his body doesn't exist anymore. He's causing himself more strain, because he still feels he has a body outside of here." answered Hax.

"He's gonna be ok, right?" asked Gaia.

"Once he gets used to his new circumstances, he should be fine. We probably shouldn't have started him out with an agent, though. At least, not this particular one. He's burning himself out, partially, because of the history he has with this thing. He's giving it his all when he should just be getting used to the fundamentals again, and getting used to the fact that he doesn't have a body outside of this machine to allow him to feel fatigued so quickly." explained Hax.

"I say give him more time." said Cache.

"For once, we agree." said Hax.

"Alright, I'll allow it. Come on, Neo." said Saint.

Neo eventually dodged from out of Smith's onslaught of blows, and then countered with a left hook to Smith's ribs. The agent was stunned by the blow, enough to give Neo the necessary time to retort with an onslaught of his own. Smith was able to dodge many of the blows, but missed when Neo threw a knifehand strike to his throat. Gagging, Neo used this time to grab the lapels of his jacket and judo throw the agent to the floor. As Smith tried to get up, Neo used another throw to slam Smith into the concrete floor. As Smith reeled from the pain, Neo kicked him, Smith sliding against the hard floor from the blow. Gritting his teeth, Smith got up and grabbed his standard issue Desert Eagle from his jacket. He fired three shots at Neo. Running purely on adrenaline, Neo managed to dodge the first two shots, using his focus to move away from the bullets as if they were fish in the sea. The third bullet, however, hit him right in the shoulder. Neo fell to the ground, in pain with his shoulder bleeding.

At the console, Saint began to look worried. "Hax, send me into the Deuces Ex. I'm going to help him." Saint opened the door to the digital room just as Hax spun in his chair to face him.

"Do you want your special programming?" asked Hax.

"Yes, and hurry!" replied Saint, smiling as he closed the door. He could see the digital projection of Neo on the ground in green code. His body, however, hadn't been integrated into the program yet. He was just in a large box filled with code. Quickly and effortlessly, Hax slid a jump drive into the console and begin to furiously chip at the keyboard with precise commands.

"Sorry, Gaia, I'll show you how to do this later." he promised.

Inside the Deuces Ex, Smith began to walk towards Neo with his gun poised and aimed straight for Neo's head. Neo felt fear, seeing his life flash before his eyes. This should've been an easy fight, he thought. He was the One! Neo closed his eyes as Smith gave him a final taunt.

"Goodbye, Mr. Anderson." said Smith just as he began to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, code came into the Subway. Saint, with perfect form, formed from the code with his silver and black Springfield XD pistol drawn. It held an impressive 16-round clip and he had a wooden dowel rod, bound in grip tape, in the back of him attached to his belt. As he fired each round, Smith dodged each shot.

"Gotcha!" yelled Saint as he quickly glided to the still-dodging Smith.

As Smith dodged one of the bullets by curving to the left, Saint met him with a hard right cross, knocking the Agent through a poster hanging on the wall. As Smith got up in order to respond to this new threat, Saint as already there beginning to pummel the agent. Saint started by showing off his Boxing punches, forcing the agent to block each blow as quickly as he could. Then, Saint closed the gap and grabbed Smith by the shirt, using his elbows and knees to beat the agent into submission. Then, in as dirty a fight as Smith wish he had the programming for, Saint followed up his strikes by pulling Smith towards him as he kneed him in the crotch. Smith fell to his knees, holding himself with gritted teeth. In quick motion, Saint grabbed his wooden stick from behind him, whipped it around behind Smith's neck, then pulled the bar in as he unleashed a particularly deadly knee to Smith's face. Between the blow of the knee and the placement of the stick behind him, Smith's neck was broken. Fight was over just like that. Smith's limp body fell to the ground, and turned back into the old man whose body he had hijacked. In a humbling gesture, Saint grabbed his fist and bowed to the old man before turning to go help Neo.

"Neo, breathe. Concentrate." he said, holding the hero's body in his arms. Neo was breathing hard, as if he were dying. "Neo, look at me." he commanded. Neo did as he asked.

"This pain is all in your head. Let it go." he said.

Neo realized the power of his words, and focused on them. Pretty soon, his pain began to lessen. Saint was right; it was all in his head.

"I'm sorry." said Neo as he let go of the bleeding hole in his arm.

"Nothing to apologize for." said Saint, smiling. "I'm the one who should apologize. We should've started you out on something a little easier. Something a little more fun." he said.

A rush of loud footsteps came from the entrance of the Subway as many S.W.A.T. members ran down the stairs, a group of around 30 men. Saint and Neo both turned to see as the men came to the ground floor, got in formation, and aimed their submachine guns, assault rifles, and high-powered shotguns at the duo. Saint slowly stood up as Neo looked on.

"You two, drop to your knees, hands on the back of your heads NOW!" screamed the commanding officer. Neo was startled as a hand came out in front of his face.

"C'mon, Neo! We can do this...together!" said Saint, smiling. Neo grabbed his forearm and pulled himself up with Saint's assistance. He rotated his arm a bit, getting rid of the leftover pain that had left his body. Taking a deep breath, Neo did a beautiful flourish of martial arts movements, ending in a stance facing the officers.

"Now we're talkin'!" replied Saint as he hopped on one leg and then the other, throwing a flurry of punches into the air before assuming his stance. "You ready, partner?" asked Saint.

"Ready." said Neo coolly.


End file.
